The National tribune., 1887-01-20
GEN. GEORGE d. WAGNER,
And How He "Cussed" Because They Wouldnt
Let Him Fight at Perryville.

| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: j have now
been reading THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE for
nearly year. and that you may know how much
i appreciate il will say that l moro than got
value for my dollar from reading the first paper
you sent me. As an old soldier, / don't know
how could die happy until knew what was
in the last issue.
j have watched and waited and wondered TO
see something from some one who belonged TO
our brigade, which was composed of the 18th,
40th and 57th Ind, 9th KY. aud 9th Ohio,
commanded by Gen. George ID. Wagner. learn
| from The NATIONAL TRIBUNE that Gen. Thos.
j. Wood, who commanded our division, is 10
write an article OH the battle Of Stone River.
| If he is as good writer as he was fighter his
article will be rouser.
i was a private volunteer veteran, was
wounded at Resaea and was mustered out in
1865, an invalid. During all those short, long
| years since then my old comrades will be glad
10 know that as lie here in my big arm chair
j still remember many and love all of them.
sometimes feel lin my mind" that we are all
together in the hurry and whirl of long ago.
In The NATIONAL TRIBUNE of Dec 8 saw
an article from H. C. Howell, l23d ILL.,, and one
| from j. $. Mavity, Co. G., 9th KY, giving an
account Of the battle of Perryville. In fact,
i have read several accounts of that battle
lately, but none as i saw il.
We marched hard all that day. In the after
noon we began TO hear firing in front and TO
| the left Just before shutdown we came in sight
OF the battle in all its fury. Oar brigade went
| into line on hill fronting north, in plain view
of the advancing columns of the rebels in a corn
| field in shock not more than 300 yards away,
| and we were commanded % stack arms!
| III there was a shot fired from our brigade,
except from our brigade battery (the 10th Ind,
| Capt. Cox, don't remember IT, No wonder
| that Howell thinks that some Que was 10 blame
at Perryville."
The boysof the Second Brigade will remember
what a terrible man TO swear Gen. Wagner was,
and how he exercised his talent on that ocCa-
sion because he was not permitted TO 60 into
the fight. As we stood there on that hill,
looking down that narrow lane between the
two armies, it was an awful sight TO see their
engines Of war belching forth flaming fire into
each others faces.
Why it was that the Federal and Confed-
crate armies ran a race day and night to get
possession of Louisville, and why it was that
! Bragg with his whole army was permitted 10
deliberately strike tents and walk away without
a battle was always mystery 10 contemplate.
can hear Wagner "cuss" yet.
/ will now ask the question, How many were
| there Of you that looked on at the battle of
Perryville, and were not permitted TO take part
! in it? How many were halted within hearing
of the battle, and not permitted TO advance
until the fight was over?
i imagine that the soldiers who fought on
that field will be surprised when they learn
| how many of us there were at hand and not
permitted TO assist in sweeping the feld.-D.
NJ. osBURN, Co. A, 10th Ind, "a Yandes street,
indianapolis, Ind.